Automatic intermittent switch



Feb. 12, 1935. L. A. RAMSDEN AUTOMATIC INTERMI'I'TENT SWITCH Filed May0, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 12, 1935. L. AJRAMSDEN AUTOMATICINTERMITTENT SWITCH Filed May 10, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Feb.12, 1935 L. A. RAMSDEN 1,990,566

AUTOMATIC INTERMITTENT SWITCH Filed May 10, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATICINTERMITTENT SWITCH Louis Alfred Ramsden, Failsworth, EnglandApplication May 10, 1933, Serial No. 670,318 In Great Britain June 2,1932 4 Claims. (Cl. 172-126) This invention relates to improvements inpin b causes the other lever A to move in the automatic intermittentelectric switches of the same direction. type in which the switch arm isformed in The amount of movement allowed to the lever two parts pivotedtogether and connected by a A is constant and corresponds with thedistance spring and moved from one extreme position to of travel of thepin b The lever A is provided 5 the other by the common armature of twosolewith a triangular shaped contact a which at noids energizedalternately. the end of each movement of the lever A comes The inventioncomprises two electromagnets in contact with one of two stops a mountedon or solenoids, energized alternately by a spring but insulated fromthe casing. These stops a operated contact member controlled by thearform the terminals for leads from the solenoid 10 mature of thesolenoids the speed of movement coils and as the contact a enages one orother of this contact member from one extreme posiof these stops a thecircuit to one or other of tion to the other being retarded by gearingto the solenoids B is completed and the armature provide a time lag forthe operation of the b is moved in a direction to break the circuit soswitch. made. The stops 0. are carried on a plate A of 15 The inventionfurther comprises the provision insulating material adjustably mountedon the of a plurality of cam discs given a rotary movecasing by aspindle a screwing therethrough to ment by the switch to controlexternal electric propel a. bracket a affixed to the plate A. To

circuits. ensure that the armature b shall remain in one The inventionwill be described with reference or other of its extreme positions whenneither to the accompanying drawings:- of the solenoids B is energizedduring the travel Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing the 0011- of thecontact a. a spring pawl e mounted on tact maker in one extremeposition. the casing E travels over a roller 11 carried by Fig. 2 is asimilar elevation showing the 0011- the lever D, tact maker in the otherextreme position. The rate at which the spring (1 causes the 25 Fig. 3is a side elevation. lever A to travel between the two stops a is 4 is aSection 011 ine ig. 1. controlled by gearing C through a connecting 5 isa p of the m g t rod 0 pivoted to the lever A and to a toothed Fig. 6 isa detail view of the contact maker. quadrant The quadrant gears th apin- Fig. 7 is a detail view of the lever D and star ion 0 on a spindle0 also carrying a further 30 wheel. pinion c which engages a pinion c ona spindle Fig. 8 is a detail view of the cam discs and carrying a wheel0' engaged by an escapement contacts for exterior ir i c pivoted on thecasing on a spindle 0 The The switch is opera-ted y a Contact maker 63gearing retards the rate of movement of the controlled by two solenoidsB through gearing t t d th o ition of the stops a de- 35 C W c providesa time lag the movement termines the distance which the contact a o theContact maker has to travel between them.

The solenoids B are arran ed to be energized Current is fed to thesolenoids by a lead from alternately and are constructed with common n is lated terminal 2 on the casing, the rearmatu e b a p t0 be drawn firstin one turn lead 3 from one solenoid being connected direction and thenin reverse by first one and t one top and the return lead 4 from thethen the other of the solenoids. The centre th r lenoid t the secondstop a The con- DOTtiOn 0f the armature b is recessed and D tact acompletes the circuit to the casing into vided with a p n 1) Whichengages a Slot (1 in which is screwed a return terminal 5. By varythelower end of a lever D pivoted about its ing th position of the plate Acarrying the 45 uppe end On e s g E. The lever D is thus stops a anydesired period of time for the travel given a movement through an arc ofa circle as of the contact a may be obtainedthe armature b reciprocates.The lever D adja- Th it h may be employed to operate any cent its lowerend, carries a p d1 p j c external circuit and will now be describedconthrough a slot a in one of a pair of diametrically trolling four suchexternal circuits.

oppo d leversA A1 pi on c mmon pindle The spindle o upon which thelevers A A a to the casing and forming the contact maker. are pivotedextends rearwardly through the front The free ends of the levers A A areconnected of the casing E and through a slot (1 in the together by aspring a which as the free end of lever D. A star wheel D is mounted onthe & the lever A swings over its dead centre with the spindle a theteeth of which are engaged by pins d on the lever D by which the starwheel is rotated on each oscillation of the lever.

Two discs F F having a series of cam faces are also mounted on thespindle a each disc being engaged by one or more rollers g (two areshown in the drawings). Each roller g is mounted on a lever g and heldin contact with the cam surface by a spring g A contact arm G ismountedon each lever g and as the cam disc rotates is intermittentlybrought into and out of contact with an insulated terminal 6 on thecasing E thus intermittently making and breaking an electric circuitcompleted through the casing by the return terminal 5.

To provide a good contact between the arms G and the casing E flexiblestrips g3 are screwed into the arms and the casing. r

In the drawings four such external circuits are shown operated by thetwo cam discs F, F but by employing a greater numberof rollers g on eachdisc or by increasing the number of discs F F on the spindle a a largernumber of external circuits may be controlled.

What I claimas my invention and desire'to protectby Letters Patent is:-

1. intermittent electric switch comprising a casing, a spring operatedswitch arm, two

' solenoids energized alternately by the switch arm, a common armaturefor the solenoids, 2. depending .lever "pivoted on the casing, a pinonuthe armatureengaged by the lever, a pin on the leverv to transmit themovement to the contact maker, gearing to retard theoperation of thecontact maker, further pins on the depending lever, and a star wheelintermittently rotated in one direction by the pins.

2. An intermittent automatic switch comprising a casing, a springoperated switch arm, two solenoids energized'alternately by the switcharm, a common armature for the solenoids, a lever pivoted to the casingand oscillated by the armature, a pin on the lever to engage a slot inthe switch arm, a lever pivoted to the switch arm, a quadrant pivoted tothe casing and partially rotated by the lever and escapement gearingoperated by the quadrant to retard the rate of movement of the lever andswitch arm.

3. An'intermittent automatic switch comprisinga casing, a springoperated switch arm, two

solenoids energized alternately by the switch arnxa common-armature forthe solenoids, a lever pivoted to the casing and oscillated by thearmature, a pin on the lever to engage a slot'in the lower portion ofthe switch arm, a lever pivoted to the upper portion of the switch arm,a triangular contact member on the upper pore tion of the switch armadjustable contacts on the casing engaged by the triangular contactmember, a quadrant pivoted to the casing and partially rotated by thelever and escapement gearing operated by the quadrant to retard'the rateof movement of the lever and switch arm.

4. In an intermittent electric switch as in claim 2 pins on theoscillating lever, and a star wheel engaged alternately by each pin bywhich. it is rotated.

' LOUIS ALFRED RAMSDEN.

